Vani - Zehnaseeb

Chapter 2: Jab Veer met Bani

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Dad main abh masjid jaarahi hoon Zoha ke saath. She needs a ride. Vahaan se main seede Kajol ki function parr challi jaoongi. Bani called back to her dad while putting her flats on. She looked in the mirror and adjusted her outfit, frowning at how the lehnga was digging into her stomach. Abh firse dieting karni padegi. Kitni moti hone laggi hoon main. Bani put her robe on and tied it at the front so that her stomach wasn't showing because she's heading to the Mosque first. Her dad was combing his wet hair and pinched his daughter's cheek. Kuch moti mooti nahin hui tum. Yeh rang kitna acha lagta hai tumpar. Acha sunno. Yeh laal dhaaga baand lena aur kuch mannat bhi maangna. Tumaari nayi company kulli hai na? Bani sighed and took the red thread out of her dad's hand. Unlike him, she was not religious at all. Dad aap bhi na? Aapko pattha hai main in sab cheezon ko nahin maanti. Truth was that she had only given hope in God after her mom left her. They always bonded over their Sunday trips with Zoha and her mom to the mandir, mosque, and then gurdwara followed by some ice cream and volunteer work at the local orphanage. Since she left, her dad and younger brother would have to practically drag her to any religious event. Bani muje pattha hai ke tum in sab cheezon ko nahin maanti. Lekin muje yeh bhi pattha hai ke tum bhagwan khi sabse khaas bachi ho, tum nahin maanti toh kya hua? Bhagwan toh tume udheek tha rehta hai na? Acha aggar apne liye nahin...toh mere liye mannat maang lena? Abh yeh shawl pakkro aur jao. He pushed Bani out the door and continued getting ready.

Bani got into her car which she had bought with her hard-earned money, even though her dad had enough money to buy her whatever she wants, and drove off to her best friend Zoha's house. They were friends since they were babies, and were actually more like sisters than friends. It was Zoha who handled Bani when she was heartbroken by first her mom leaving and then her sister. Once she picked Zoha up, Bani began driving to the mosque. Along the way, Zoha decided to try one last time. Bani ek baar try toh karlo? Kya pattha. Koi acha ladka miljaaye? Bani turned up the volume of the radio and continued driving. Zoha sighed and looked over at her best friend in disbelief. She was trying to avoid the topic. Bani...yeh avaaz ko oochi karke kuch nuy hoga. Babe your 28 years old now. Kabh takh kavaari raho gi? Of the two, Zoha was more practical and believed that at a certain age you should settle down whether you're a man or a woman. She was so keen on getting married that she agreed to her parents setting her up with a complete stranger, and now they were dating for a couple months and already planning their wedding for next year. Zoha...please don't start. Internet dating aur main? Kabhi nahin. Aur tume toh pattha hai na...abhi abhi toh Vienna, apni nayi fashion line, start up hone vaali hai aur usme main busy rahungi. Zoha put the visor down and started to put on some more lip gloss. No Bani that's not what it is. I know you. Tum bauhat picky ho. It's not ke tumaare paas time nahin. Bass koi bhi acha ladka aggar tumne dekhe toh tume koi na koi kammi nazar aathi hai. Remember Rahul? Kya...kya kartha tha voh? Bani rolled her eyes and prepared herself for her best friend's speech about Rahul again. Haa! Koi badhi marketing company mein sales manager tha. Kamaatha acha tha, height theek thi, good looking tha aur- Bani turned her car to reverse park into a stall and chuckled Aur uski kutho ki kuch zyaada obsession thi. Zoha I'm all for marrying an animal lover, lekin voh toh chaubees ghante bass golden retrievers ke bhaare mein bhaat karta tha. He had stickers of them all over his phone case and car for god's sakes. Ek bhaar usne muje goldren retriever ki video dikhaayi and I guess maine usko enough of a 'awwwww' vaala reaction nuy diya aur voh kitna naaraz hogaya. I mean seriously! Kahaan se aathe hai yeh lok?!

Zoha covered her mouth and tried to suppress her laughter. Okay fine Bani usko chodo. I still think he was okay but whatever. Yeh laal dhaaga uncle ne diya right? Toh jab main imam uncle se bhaat karungi, tum vahaa laal dhaaga bhaandna aur dua karna ke allah tume ek acha sa ladka jald se jald bhej de. Bani rolled her eyes and shook her head. Zoha you know na main nuy maanti? Main toh bass dad ke kehne pe yeh lekhar aayi...nayi toh main toh andhir bhi nahin jaane waali thi. Zoha grabbed the red thread, put it in Bani's hand, and closed her fist. Bani. Aggar nuy maanti toh koshish karne mein kyu ghabraa rahi ho? Just try na. If you find a man then great, Allah ki rehmat, aur aggar nahi toh fir tum muje duniya barr ke liye yeh ankhiyon se goli maarti rehna. Okay? Abh challo! Imam uncle time ke pakke hai aur aggar ammi ko pattha chalgaya main late hogayi toh aaj toh meri shaamat hogi. Bani groaned and followed along as Zoha dragged her up the stairs to the Mosque. As Bani prepared to tie the thread and ask God for something that she knew would never happen, Veer had just parked outside the Mosque as well.